


This time for sure I'll see the truth hidden inside your tears

by Anonymous



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Anal Sex, Bit of pregnancy kink, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Body Modification, Bottom Sephiroth (Compilation of FFVII), Don't Examine This Too Closely, Intersex Sephiroth (Compilation of FFVII), Lucrecia Aerith and Zack are only mentioned, M/M, Medical Inaccuracies, Mpreg, Pregnant Sex, Top Cloud Strife, Vaginal Sex, Vomiting, Warning: Hojo (Compilation of FFVII), bit of body worship, forgot to mention, just enjoy the ride (if you can), kink meme fill, nothing graphic though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 00:02:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29751033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Fill for the Kink Meme: Sephiroth/Cloud Non-ABO Mpreg:Commonly mpreg prompts usually involve A/B/O and Cloud is the one who becomes pregnant, which is why I thought we might change things up a bit just for fun.So, by whatever plot contrivance a/a would like to use, Hojo manages to return (maybe he left a clone of himself behind with a similar program of his artificial intelligence as we see in Dirge of Cerberus) and he brings Sephiroth back with him. Regarding him as a failed experiment at this point, he makes alterations to his body in order for it to be able to host his latest attempt at creating a perfect being. Between the Jenova cells already in Sephiroth's body and the genetic material that Hojo had managed to collect from Aerith while she had been in the labs he impregnants Sephiroth with a child that contains Jenova cells and Cetra DNA.Full prompt inside.
Relationships: Sephiroth/Cloud Strife
Comments: 12
Kudos: 50
Collections: Anonymous





	This time for sure I'll see the truth hidden inside your tears

**Author's Note:**

> So the full prompt was: 
> 
> "Commonly mpreg prompts usually involve A/B/O and Cloud is the one who becomes pregnant, which is why I thought we might change things up a bit just for fun.
> 
> So, by whatever plot contrivance a/a would like to use, Hojo manages to return (maybe he left a clone of himself behind with a similar program of his artificial intelligence as we see in Dirge of Cerberus) and he brings Sephiroth back with him. Regarding him as a failed experiment at this point, he makes alterations to his body in order for it to be able to host his latest attempt at creating a perfect being. Between the Jenova cells already in Sephiroth's body and the genetic material that Hojo had managed to collect from Aerith while she had been in the labs he impregnants Sephiroth with a child that contains Jenova cells and Cetra DNA.
> 
> Before he can see the results of this new experiment, he is found out. Enter Cloud (and any party members of a/a's choosing) who has received intelligence about the possibility of Hojo's return and that he's set up in a hidden lab somewhere. Once they break in and take care of Hojo, Cloud is shocked to discover Sephiroth still in the early trimesters of pregnancy but clearly pregnant with whatever Hojo devised. When he learns just how far Hojo has went this time and that he used Aerith's genetic materials he can't bring himself to strike Sephiroth down but he also can't just let him go free either.
> 
> Where a/a takes this is entirely up to them but bonus points if it does somehow lead to Sephiroth/Cloud. Double-bonus points for an exploration of Sephiroth's state-of-mind, any feelings of body dysmorphia from Hojo essentially bringing him back as someone intersex and capable of pregnancy, being treated as a failed experiment and relegated to a "host" body for Hojo's latest experiments, how Hojo managed to weaken and restrain him for those purposes and his feelings of vulnerability over that, any feelings he may have over parenthood, etc. Some of my kinks include body worship and pregnancy sex so Cloud and Sephiroth getting it on while he's pregnant would make me very happy."
> 
> OP, I'm sorry you had to wait for so long only to get *this*. The only reason why it's not worse is my lovely beta. that fixed all the mistakes. 
> 
> The only thing she couldn't fix was the story so I apologize for that one. Any mistakes you find are mine, too.
> 
> There are mentions of suicide, depression and self deprecating thoughts, a bit of blood too but nothing graphic or anything. I hope I didn't miss anything important.

Hojo adjusted his glasses, a look of disgust contorting his already ugly face. It was a good thing he had thought of leaving at least another clone of himself. His blood boiled just thinking of how close he’d been to achieving his goal the last time, and how that ragtag group of fools, that stupid _boy_ , had destroyed his plans. _Again_.

A true shame that this spare form was closer to his original body, a far cry from the almost godlike perfection of the last one, but it would serve its purpose. It proved to be a brilliant idea, not only because a genius like his would be such a great loss for the world, but it also guaranteed that more interference would be unlikely to occur. After all, he was a dead man, and no one would suspect his return, not until his new project was completed.

Said new project now laid before him, bearing the face of what he'd thought had been his Magnus opus, until it proved to be his biggest failure. Falling so easily at the hands of the actual failed experiment was an almost fatal blow to Hojo's pride and he gritted his teeth, tempted to destroy this useless specimen just to assuage the feelings of humiliation. It would be easy. This vessel was not as enhanced as Sephiroth’s original body, not even at the level of the so called remnants. A much weaker version, to be sure.

He huffed, calming down and reminding himself that he needed him for his next machination. If his lifetime project was unable to become a god himself, or even sire a child through regular means, to achieve said goal, well, Hojo would just need to be a little more creative.

With a smirk curving his lips and a pat on his back for coming up with such a perfect plan, he started preparing everything, pulling on a new pair of latex gloves. He might not have the unlimited resources he used to, back when he worked for Shinra, but all the essentials were at his disposal and he _is_ the greatest genius to ever exist, he could pull this off even in these precarious conditions.

It was a shame any kind of pain killer or anesthetic medication were so scarce. No matter, he was used to his screams and could tune them out when needed.

.*.*.*.*.*.

Cloud was tired. Cloud was more than tired, he was sick of _this_. Of Shinra and their influence in his life and the planet, even when the company no longer existed. Of Hojo and Sephiroth, and everything related to them. 

He didn't want to believe the bastard _was_ back but he remembered the sinister tale Vincent had related about Weiss and Omega—the absolute outlandishness of the madman's plan and how it'd almost worked—and scowled, deciding that making sure and finding nothing out of the ordinary was better than letting it go and discovering they were too late to stop it later.

The army of robots and other security measures intent on killing them was a dead giveaway. Cloud cursed, wishing the intel they’d received had been a false alarm.

"You fucking asshole! Why can't you stay dead?" Growled the ex-SOLDIER once they finally reached the lab, digging the point of his sword into the mad scientist's throat. Hojo didn't seem to register the sharp object piercing his skin nor the rivulet of blood staining his skin and clothes.

"Ah, we meet again, numberless specimen. I see you brought the whole group with you, I almost feel honored. What brings you all to my humble laboratory?"

"You know damn well why we're here!" Cloud gripped his coat, using it as leverage, and shoved Hojo towards the metal table where an unconscious Sephiroth laid completely bare, a thin white blanket the only thing preserving his modesty. "How did you come back? How did you bring _him_ back? What are you planning this time?"

Hojo didn't seem inclined to answer any of his questions and Cloud had to fight the urge to run him through with his sword and burn the whole place to the ground. But he _needed_ to know. How long had he been alive? What had he done to Sephiroth this time around, was he stronger? Had he found a new way to enhance him, to try and absorb the lifestream? Did he have more J cells that they had to worry about?

"Answer his questions,"Vincent said from behind Cloud, his gun aimed at Sephiroth's head.

"Hello again, boy. I see you survived our last encounter. I commend you on your durability, another one of my great achievements.

Vincent didn't acknowledge him beyond loading his gun.

"Do what you must. He was nothing but a huge letdown. Besides, it's not like you'll let him live after you found us, anyway." Hojo adjusted his glasses, thrown askew when Cloud manhandled him, and looked directly into Cloud's eyes. "It's a shame that I'll never see my efforts come to fruition. I bet the offspring would've been a magnificent creature, having been created with the cells of two of my most prized specimens."

"What’re you talkin' 'bout?" Barret snarled, his stomach dropping without knowing why.

"Ah yes, I think you called her Aerith, right? What a terrible loss. She could've procreated many more times; the samples would've been of much lesser quality, but still very valuable indeed."

The whole room went deathly silent, the implication of what Hojo had done chilling everyone to the bone.

"You're lying!" hissed Tifa through gritted teeth, her eyes stinging with tears of rage, remembering what Hojo had tried to do to Aerith back when Shinra had captured her. Hojo only smirked, looking at her with pride shining in his eyes.

"I admit the prospect of disturbing all of you so profoundly is an amusing thought but I can assure you, I am not lying. You can confirm this simply by pulling that sheet down."

Cloud looked at the sleeping form of his nemesis and quickly averted his gaze, unsure if it was paranoia what made him notice a small bump under the fabric or not. 

Cloud's rage blinded him, Hojo's sickening indifference towards everything he'd done made him forget everything he’d intended to ask. Cloud threw the mad scientist against the wall, quickly impaling him with his sword.

"When I… come back… I’ll…” Cloud didn’t let him speak more, making sure to see the life go out of those evil eyes before letting the corpse fall to the floor.

"Tifa..." said Cloud, almost in a whisper, "Tifa, make sure no more copies are left in the web, we cannot… cannot let him come back."

Tifa was rooted to the spot, trembling with anger and disgust, but quickly did as she was told.

"Let's... let's make sure that what he said was a lie... I-we..."

"Calm down, Cloud." Vincent’s voice cut through the haze that were Cloud’s thoughts, helping him focus.

"Right, yes. Search the whole lab, Hojo must have kept notes and data on his progress. Find it."

Everyone else did as told while Cloud stood over Sephiroth, ready to react should the other man regain consciousness.

Cloud hesitated a moment before reaching out and grasping the sheet over Sephiroth’s body, ready to listen to the crazy bastard and pull it down. His breath was coming faster, making his head spin and his guts twist uncomfortably in dread.

A loud bang coming from the desk where Tifa was sitting startled everyone, making Cloud drop the cloth and turn quickly.

“Tifa?” called Vincent, lowering the stack of papers he’d been reading.

"I found something,” replied the girl, breathless. Everyone gathered around her and, even though Cloud was reluctant to leave Sephiroth unguarded, Tifa’s reaction spoke of bad news.

"That bastard had time to delete most of the info from the hard drive but there are still some useful things. It appears that we got rid of most of his copies and the rest I already destroyed. But he... he wasn't lying about his experiments on Sephiroth. There’s not much left but he… he really..."

Cloud felt a wave of nausea hit him, making him dizzy. Even in death, Hojo wouldn't let Aerith rest, defiling her in the worst way possible. He quickly made his way toward Sephiroth, lowering the covering this time and feeling a new bout of nausea wash over him. 

There, barely visible, mistaken for muscle if you didn't know what you were looking for, but there. A nightmare in the waking world. Cloud went pale, gagging a little.

"Sit down, Cloud,” rumbled Vincent, gripping one of his arms and Cloud slumped on the offered chair as soon as it was near enough.

What was this? This couldn’t be real, it had to be a hallucination, it _had_ to be.

"Who cares what this is? What we need is to kill this asshole and bring this place down on the corpse!" growled Barret, in response to what Cloud must've said out loud without noticing, his eyes reflecting how horrified he was with the whole scenario.

Cloud got up on wobbly legs, raising his sword above his head with trembling arms. He had to do it, knowing that it was the only logical option. End the nightmare so he could try and forget it all as soon as possible.

Then he noticed Sephiroth's appearance.

The disheveled hair, lacking its usual luster that never left it even when Sephiroth was fresh from the grave; the abnormal paleness on top of the already pale skin, making it look almost transparent; the deep, black bags under his eyes accompanied by the frown of obvious discomfort on the normally stoic face that Cloud hadn't noticed until now. Everything screamed of terrible weeks of pain and horrors at the hands of Hojo. The too pronounced ribs and scars on his lower abdomen made his skin crawl.

Cloud just stood there, frozen mid action, unsure on what to do. 

He could remember bits and pieces of how it had been to be Hojo's prized toy, the joy the man radiated whenever he experimented on either him or Zack. How he wouldn't care if he hurt them, almost killing them more times than Cloud could count. Anything to get the results he wanted, only to be tossed aside, deemed failures and encased in tubes to be forgotten. The thought that it could've been him or Zack the ones lying in that table right now if things had been different was horrifying. How could he kill Sephiroth this time, knowing what he did?

Worst, how was he supposed to destroy any part of Aerith, small as it was?

"What the hell're you doin'?! Kill 'im!'' demanded Barret, frustrated by his hesitation.

"I can't do it," whispered Cloud, lowering his sword, the weapon feeling heavier than it really was.

"What the fuck, Cloud? This is the man who almost screwed us all up! How can you look at him and say that?!"

Cloud turned around, annoyed at his friend and his lack of understanding.

"I can't do it! I can't kill a man that can't defend himself! I can't kill a preg..." he couldn't even say it, the words wouldn't leave his mouth. "I can't kill someone in that condition, much less if he’s got Aerith’s cells in there, I just can't!"

"What? You gonna tell me you can't kill him 'cause he got knocked up? Fucking unbelievable, it almost feels like you're being contro..." the realization of what he'd said hit him, and Barret swallowed hard, almost choking when Cloud glared at him. 

“Barret!” exclaimed Tifa and Vincent in unison, their expressions full of disbelief. It couldn’t disguise the doubt shining clearly in their eyes.

"You know I’m right, though. That asshole never gave a fuck 'bout who he skewered and now you're feelin' generous all of a sudden. I don't like it," grumbled the older man finally.

Cloud, feeling hurt by his friends’ distrust of him, lifted First Tsurugi, presenting the handle to them, waiting for any of them to take it.

"You do it, then. I'm always the one who has to kill him, the one who has to murder a person, no matter how much of a monster they are, and live with that burden. A man who I used to admire and look up to, someone I—" Cloud let out a shuddering breath, he'd almost confessed what only Zack knew. "You can do it, this time. I'm not the only one who can hurt him and he's vulnerable now, he won't move. He can't. Do it, Barret. Vincent. Tifa."

The Avalanche leader scowled, ignoring the hand that offered the gigantic blade, lifting his arm instead, sneering at Vincent and Tifa’s reluctance. He readied himself to rid the world of this plague.

Cloud could see the moment it dawned on him, what the ex-SOLDIER himself had seen. He could see his arm tremble, his Adam's apple bob visibly with how hard he had to swallow.

Sephiroth chose that moment to whimper, a small tear falling from the corner of his eye, dampening his hair.

"Fuckin' Hel!" yelled Barret, lowering his gun and punching the wall. Tifa and Vincent visibly relaxed, though they still looked jittery.

"What are we going to do with him? We can’t leave him here but we can’t bring him back with us," questioned Tifa, on edge like everyone else but trying to be the voice of reason.

Everyone turned to look at Cloud, knowing that, in case Sephiroth decided to destroy the world again, he was the only one capable of stopping him. The ex-SOLDIER sighed, knowing that he only had himself to blame and lifting the too light and cold body in his arms, making sure the sheet covered Sephiroth properly then walking out of the building, quickly reaching their transport.

"I'll go with Tifa in the truck. Vincent, take Fenrir and follow us." Vincent nodded, taking the keys from Cloud then getting on the bike and waiting for them to move.

Carefully, Cloud got on the truck, trying not to disturb the sleeping form in his arms, afraid of waking up Sephiroth and having to deal with that problem.

When he finally deemed everything ready, he asked Tifa to drive towards his home. She stared at him, incredulity blazing in her brown eyes, perhaps convinced that her friend had gone insane.

Cloud returned her gaze, his eyes daring her to question him. She sighed and started the truck, grudgingly doing as she was told.

.*.*.*.*.*.

Cloud took a water bottle out of the fridge, then dragged a chair to his bedroom and sat down next to the bed, observing the other man intently. 

He’d asked everyone to go back home and rest, promising to call if anything happened. Tifa and Vincent refused to leave him alone with the madman, so he asked them to fetch clothes for Sephiroth and they reluctantly agreed, the knowledge that they’d be back in a relatively short time convincing them.

He’d called it his house, but it was more an “I’m trying to be closer to my friends but I still need the space” kind of place. He supposed he should be grateful. This way, Sephiroth wouldn’t be around many people and wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone if he woke up in a murderous rage. No one else but Cloud, at least. That was a comforting thought. Somewhat.

So there Cloud sat, fake relaxed pose, waiting for his guest to do something.

Sephiroth most have felt his gaze because not too long passed before his eyes began moving, fluttering open after a few moments.

The silver haired man sat up quickly, his mind registering he was no longer at the lab. When his eyes fell on Cloud, he seemed to stop breathing, the mask of calmness that fell over his face seconds later unable to veil the tension in his shoulders.

“Where am I?” was the quiet question that left his lips, his eyes fixed on Cloud’s, calculating.

“My house,” Cloud replied curtly. Sephiroth seemed annoyed by the lack of information that answer provided, but was trying not to show it. The ex-General opened his mouth, ready to voice his next question, only to close it again and reconsider his words.

“Why am I still alive?” Sephiroth looked like a nervous cat, his slitted pupils contracted visibly, his eyes wary.

That shocked Cloud but, after a moment of consideration, did not surprise him. He must be aware that Hojo was dead and was wondering why he didn’t share his fate.

“I don’t kill defenseless people,” answered Cloud, crossing his arms. This answer seemed to anger Sephiroth even more but, once again, he made an effort not to show it.

“You know I’m perfectly capable of killing you and your whole pathetic group of friends,” snarled the silver haired man, eyes cold and challenging. Cloud glared at him, aware of what Sephiroth was trying to do, but unable to remain unaffected.

“And you know what I’m talking about,” replied the blonde, his eyes flickering quickly toward the older man’s belly, making him clutch the sheets tighter against his body.

Cloud was not prepared for Sephiroth jumping him, the ex-General not even caring about his nudity, hell bent on destroying the blonde. Cloud had never seen him so out of control, his face contorted in rage.

The taller man tried to punch him but the movement was so slow and weak that Cloud didn’t even need to dodge it, catching the fist in his hand with ease. Sephiroth struggled to free himself, trying to kick Cloud and almost losing his balance. His knee connected with Cloud’s side but, even though it did hurt like hell, it still was nowhere near as bad as Sephiroth had done in the past.

They struggled for a bit more until the ex-General’s eyes unfocused and he almost fell to the floor, his legs unable to support his weight any longer. Cloud managed to catch him before he could hit the floor, but then he tried to break free again, falling back on the bed and dragging the blonde with him. Cloud growled, pinning Sephiroth’s hands to the mattress and the silver haired man thrashed wildly, trying to dislodge the smaller man and failing.

“If you think what Hojo did to me will make a difference, you are sorely mistaken, Cloud,” he tried to sound threatening, but it was obvious he was exhausted, panting hard, some strands of his hair plastered to his sweaty skin.

Cloud sighed, letting go and getting up from the bed, convinced it’d take a while for Sephiroth to get enough strength to try that again. 

“Keeping me alive will not atone for the Cetra girl’s death. She’ll stay dead, no matter how many of her cells you try to save.”

That hurt, it was a low blow and Cloud was not surprised Sephiroth had used that against him. 

It still stung.

He gritted his teeth, reminding himself not to fall into the ex-General’s trap. When he thought he could face the other man without wanting to choke him, he picked up the bedsheet from the floor and tossed it at the other man.

“Say whatever you want. I will not kill you while you’re pregnant.” Cloud ignored how Sephiroth flinched at the mention of his condition, the word sounding wrong to his own ears. “Now go and take a shower, you need it. There are clean towels there, we’ll get you something to wear. There’s a spare toothbrush in the cabinet behind the mirror, if you want it.”

Sephiroth glowered at him from the bed, his knuckles going white with the intensity of his grip, Cloud wondered if he’d break skin. A knock on his door announced the return of Vincent and Tifa and the blonde hesitated just a moment before leaving the room. He could hear Sephiroth’s stomping feet and the bathroom door slamming.

Cloud pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering what he was doing, before opening the door.

  
  


.*.*.*.*.*.

Cloud sighed, rubbing his eyes to try to alleviate the sting the lack of sleep had caused. Another day of dealing with Sephiroth’s bullshit, another sleepless night full of useless thinking.

He wondered how long it’d be before he went insane, and then snorted at the realization that he might have never been sane to begin with.

He wondered why he hadn’t killed the ex-General, when he’d given him so many excuses from day one, on top of the mountain of reasons he already had.

Cloud knew the answer but his mind would pointlessly ask the same question over and over, no matter how many times he looked at Sephiroth, and regardless of his mind agreeing with him that he just couldn’t lay a finger on him.

The sound of frantic running, followed by said man vomiting what little he had managed to eat that night made him get up and trail after him.

“What are you doing here? Enjoying seeing your hated enemy on his knees?” was what left Sephiroth’s lips once he could talk again. Cloud leaned against the doorframe, once again shocked at how haggard this once otherworldly creature really looked, and shook his head.

“Not really,” he said, walking closer, watching as Sephiroth’s body tensed at his closeness. When Sephiroth felt sick again, Cloud’s body moved on its own, kneeling beside the older man and rubbing his back in what he hoped was a calming gesture. Sephiroth’s hand shot out, awkwardly trying to stop him from touching him, but it just ended gripping Cloud’s free wrist tightly.

Cloud sighed again, keeping the circular motion of his hand slow and steady.

At least not sleeping had been useful tonight. Kinda.

.*.*.*.*.*.

Sephiroth ran to the bathroom, just in time to empty his stomach in the toilet. He felt Cloud entering the room, one gentle hand lifting his hair so it wouldn’t get dirty, the other rubbing his back, the touch unsure but soothing. The ex-General had enough time to both curse and thank his luck that made it so Cloud’s arrival coincided with him being sick before he was leaning over the toilet again.

He sat back after what felt like an eternity, exhausted and shaking, his stomach finally settling down. He felt those hands leave his hair and back, and reluctantly admitted to himself he’d wanted them to stay a bit longer.

“I’ll deal with this, go wash your mouth,” murmured Cloud, standing up and offering him a hand.

Sephiroth was too tired to protest and did as he was told, even accepting the help and leaning on the younger man until he was steady enough to stand on his own. After a few days of finding themselves in the same situation, it had become almost a routine.

Once they both left the bathroom, Cloud silently directed him toward the kitchen, making him sit down while he took the teapot, filling it and putting it on the stove. A bag full of herbs Sephiroth couldn’t recognize rested on the counter, next to the pot.

The blonde then decided to shed his riding gear, having left everything on to go help Sephiroth, returning when the water started boiling. He added the herbs to the water and let it sit there for a while. Grabbing a mug, he filled it up then pushed it over to the other man.

“As you could see moments ago, my stomach is very queasy right now. Drinking this would be a foolish idea.” He eyed the liquid suspiciously, not in the mood for more vomiting or attempts at poisoning.

“It’s supposed to help. Marlene’s mom had the same problem and this helped a lot. Or that’s what Barret said, anyway.” 

Sephiroth scowled at the mention of the burly man, knowing how much he hated him. He, unlike Cloud, would not hesitate to try to murder him with poisonous tea, as ineffective as that would be, if only to make him suffer more.

“You were so eager for me to kill you and now you’re afraid of drinking a tea that’s not even dangerous,” said the blonde, taking a mug for himself and filling it, taking a big gulp to show that it was safe.

Sephiroth’s lips thinned in anger. He was angry at his nemesis and his disgustingly generous nature; at his insufferable friends and their nauseating pity. Angry at himself and his weakness, sacrificing what was left of his pride and accepting their help instead of at least ending his own life and dying with honor.

“Why are you, why are _they,_ helping me?” he finally voiced the question that had been going around in his head since he woke up in his enemy’s bed.

“Apparently, I looked terrible because your constant vomiting won’t let me sleep,” at Sephiroth’s scowl, Cloud dropped the attempt at humor and looked him in the eyes. “Barret says the baby will suffer if you suffer and he can’t stand that thought. Besides, contrary to what you might think, none of us enjoy your misery. Not too much.” 

Not when it involved Hojo, the blonde didn’t say.

Sephiroth lowered his gaze, grabbed the mug, careful not to grip it too tightly, and took little sips. It was absolutely irritating, having to depend on his mortal enemies to this degree, yes, but that was quickly being overpowered by gratefulness. He hadn’t felt the warmth of someone else’s care and concern in a long time.

  
  


.*.*.*.*.*.

Cloud was sitting on the couch, his eyes fixed on the figure sitting on the bed. Sephiroth had spent the first two weeks doing his best to provoke Cloud into killing him, using Aerith’s death every time, even trying his luck with a kitchen knife, but he was so weak now that Cloud had no problem overpowering and restraining him until all the fight drained from his body.

Why the ex-General had wanted to get killed so badly instead of doing the killing was something that confused and scared Cloud. A psychopathic egotistical asshole he could deal with, but _this_ was a side he never thought he’d get to see, and didn’t know how to handle. He was surprised Sephiroth hadn’t tried to kill himself.

He supposed he had the man’s gigantic pride to thank for that.

The last week had seen the end to the let’s-enrage-Cloud-to-the-point-of-murder campaign, his days were spent sitting on the bed or the couch near the window, looking out, completely lost in thought and the ex-SOLDIER didn’t know if he should feel relieved or more worried.

He was jerked out of his reverie by the knock on his door, finding Vincent on the other side, who joined him in his Sephiroth watching after being let in. The red eyes of the other man were fixed on the ex-General then fell on Cloud’s, eager to ask. Cloud signaled for the other man to follow him, he didn’t want Sephiroth to hear them.

“How is he?”

“Weak and frustrated, at first. It was obvious he had a death wish and wanted me as his executioner. Now, it’s worse. He doesn’t talk, he no longer fights with me, he doesn’t sleep, he just sits and mopes around. It’s like a different person wearing Sephiroth’s face.” 

“How is his… pregnancy going?” It was hard for all of them to talk about it, another reason why he didn’t want to talk where he could listen.

“Not too good. The tea Barret gave me helped a lot with his morning sickness, but he still refuses to eat. He lost weight again.”

“I think he lost more than the desire to eat,” said Vincent and the idea of a depressed Sephiroth would be absurd to the point of laughter if Cloud hadn’t seen it with his own eyes.

“What about a doctor? Have you considered consulting with one?” Cloud’s exasperated expression was almost answer enough.

“Can you imagine how that conversation would go? Not only is Sephiroth alive, he’s _pregnant_. How are we gonna explain that? Does it even work the same as a normal pregnancy? We can try and show what little information we have to whoever’s unlucky enough to try and help us, but I doubt that’ll make too much difference.”

“Why not go to the WRO? Ask for Reeve’s help,” suggested the black haired man. “Many of the people who make up the new organization used to work for Shinra, I doubt anyone who assisted Hojo would be surprised by this.”

Cloud frowned, feeling oddly protective over Sephiroth, doubtful of WRO’s willingness to aid the cause of Meteorfall and wary of their intentions if they decided to help the ex-General. Not for the first time, the blonde wondered if he’d gone mad, if Sephiroth was the only one that needed to see a doctor.

“This is not Shinra, Reeve will make sure no harm comes to him,” said Vincent, reading the younger man’s mind. “I’ll call him and explain everything, Sephiroth needs something we obviously cannot provide.”

“Yes, you’re right. Thanks, Vincent. You call him, I’ll go back inside to check up on him.” Vincent nodded, taking out his PHS and dialing Reeve’s number. Neither of them questioned each other’s eagerness to help someone who’d almost gotten them killed, guessed they never would.

“You could go back to your life if only you’d do what you should’ve when you found me in the lab,” said Sephiroth as soon as Cloud walked inside, the acid tone from the first weeks gone. The blonde crossed his arms on his chest, rolling his eyes. He thought they were over this.

“Maybe. That doesn’t mean I’m gonna do it now, so stop with that shit and calm down, you’ll make your nausea get worse.”

Sephiroth’s face contorted in frustration, but he didn’t talk again.

.*.*.*.*.*.

Reeve was waiting for them when they reached the WRO headquarters, his face a few shades paler at the sight of Sephiroth, recognizing him even with his hair and most of his face covered by a scarf. Cloud, Tifa and Vincent looked at each other nervously when the commissioner just stood there, eyes fixed on the tall figure of the ex-General, and didn’t move.

“Reeve,” Vincent called out and the man jumped a little, startled out of the spell that’d fallen over him.

“Sorry—sorry, I was a little surprised, that’s all. Follow me, please.”

It was a long walk, even though WRO’s headquarters were nowhere near as big as Shinra tower, so much so that they had to take a break to let Sephiroth rest. When they finally reached their destination, the doctor tried to take the ex-General with him, asking everyone else to wait outside.

“But-” Cloud tried to protest, his arm around Sephiroth’s waist tightening unconsciously.

“I’d like to talk with my patient alone first. I’ll call you if I need you,” replied the doctor firmly, making it obvious he wouldn’t back down.

Cloud was ready to protest again but Sephiroth moved, letting go of the blonde’s shoulders, and the ex-SOLDIER had no other choice but to let go.

“So it is true,” said Reeve, as soon as the doctor and his patient left. “How is this even possible?”

“Hojo,” replied Tifa, before taking a sip from the water bottle offered to her by one of Reeve’s people. The older man huffed, nodding in understanding.

“After what happened with Omega, it shouldn’t be a surprise. But seeing him here, in the flesh…” He turned to Cloud. “Why is he still—”

“He’s pregnant, Reeve. Hojo used Aerith's and Sephiroth's DNA to create the fetus,” the blonde answered before the commissioner could finish. Cloud almost laughed at the dark haired man’s expression.

Reeve looked at Tifa, who lowered her gaze to the floor, then shifted his eyes toward Vincent, who confirmed the ex-SOLDIER’s words. He sighed again, massaging his temples.

Cloud understood, his own head throbbing threateningly.

“H-How?”

“We know as much as you do. Hojo didn’t tell us much and what little data we could find wasn’t helpful,” explained Tifa, making the plastic bottle creak in her grip. “We were hoping that your doctors— we didn’t know what else to do.”

Reeve nodded again, closing his eyes. A long silence fell over the group, but Cloud didn’t notice, too preoccupied thinking about Sephiroth and what they were doing to him.

The doctor chose that moment to appear at the door.

“Um, could I please talk with you, Mr. Strife?” he said. Cloud nodded, following the other man out of the room, everyone’s eyes fixed on his back.

***

“Where’s Sephiroth?” asked Cloud when he noticed the empty office. The doctor gestured for him to take a seat and Cloud complied, just so the man would answer his question quickly.

“He’s with the nurse, we’ll be with them in a minute,” he said, shuffling through a few sheets of paper before looking up. “I supposed you don’t know how this happened?”

“Listen, Doctor-”

“Kerr. Acton Kerr.”

“Doctor Kerr, you may be familiar with the name Hojo. Is that enough explanation?”

“Ah. Alright,” was all the doctor said, understanding clear in his eyes, before scribbling something on one of the papers. His eyes kept looking up at Cloud nervously, and the blond returned the stare, wary of the doctor’s attitude.

“Are you, um, the father?” Cloud stared at the man in front of him, ‘you did not just ask that question’ written on his face. “We need to know any medical history, and the more information we get, the better we can understand and help him. I need to know if you-”

“Doctor, we’re talking about Hojo here. What does that have to do with anything?”

“I understand that, but I have a pregnant man that’s supposed to be dead waiting for an ultrasound scan in the next room. I apologize if I offended you, but you were so reluctant to let him come alone that I assumed that was the reason. I’m dealing with something I’ve never seen before, and any cooperation from your part would be appreciated.”

Cloud, whose shoulders had risen with tension, deflated a little at that. It wasn’t the doctor’s fault; he was doing as much as he could with what little he had. The blonde relaxed his posture a bit more and shook his head.

“Not the father but I suppose I’m as close as he has to a relative.” Dr. Kerr nodded, waiting for him to continue. “Far as I know, that baby is some sort of clone, created using Sephiroth’s and someone else’s DNA.”

“Thanks. I suppose all the papers and data you gave me is everything you could get from Hojo.” At the blonde’s nod, Dr. Kerr grunted, closing his eyes for a moment.

“Alright, um. Since you’re his ‘relative’, I suppose I can inform you. He’s seven weeks pregnant. I ordered blood tests to make sure both he and the baby are fine, they’ll be ready in half an hour. I’m afraid he will have to stay here at least a week, to make sure everything is alright and treat anything that we detect quickly. His weight worries me; he might be suffering from anemia but is hard to tell without the blood tests to confirm. Has he been eating regularly?”

“You should ask _him_ that.”

“I did, he said he’d been eating just fine but it’s obvious that was a lie.” ‘That stubborn, prideful bastard’ thought Cloud, his lips thinning in annoyance.

“He could barely keep anything down the last two weeks, no idea before that. It’s gotten better lately, though he still won’t eat much.”

Dr. Kerr frowned, the worry visible in his expression. He was about to talk again but was interrupted by a knock on the door, the person not waiting for permission to enter before opening the door.

“Doctor, we’re ready,” announced the nurse, waiting for them to follow her.

“Right. Let’s go, Mr. Strife.”

“What?” Both sets of eyes stared intently at him, expectant. Cloud didn’t understand what they were waiting for. They couldn’t seriously expect him to go to _Sephiroth’s ultrasound scan_ , did they? “But I-”

“What’s wrong? You were ready to accompany him to my office before, what’s stopping you now?”

The blonde stared incredulously at the doctor then growled, getting up from his seat and following the pair. He wanted to punch him or the wall, if only to make his stomach stop from twisting with nerves.

.*.*.*.*.*.

It had been a month since Sephiroth had been found and brought to his nemesis’ house. He was now almost three months into pregnancy and, where before he could ignore it, save the vomiting, now his belly had started to visibly swell. He could see the soft curve starting to show and he couldn’t help touching it, wondering what he’d do once it was all over. _If_ he even made it through.

The doctor had been very clear: his body was and wasn’t suitable for a pregnancy. Yes, he had the right parts to carry the fetus to full term but his body was still, mostly, that of a male. He did not produce the necessary chemicals and hormones like a woman would. He theorized Hojo was about to solve that problem before Avalanche stopped him. That, and how the fetus was produced, made his pregnancy a high risk one. 

Doctor Kerr said the baby was fine and its size was normal for the gestation time, but was worried, being in unknown territory, unsure of how it would affect both Sephiroth or the fetus.

If both survived the pregnancy, if he gave birth to whatever Hojo had implanted in his body, what then? How was he supposed to take care of it? He never liked kids, never considered he’d even have a stable enough relationship to consider parenthood at all. Now he was _pregnant_ and he had no home, no money or even a job to take care of himself, much less another person.

Sephiroth wasn’t even sure the thing inside him was human. If it had his genes, Mother’s cells, it would be a monster, just like him.

Because that’s what he was. This just cemented that fact.

Before Hojo decided he was a failure, before he determined that Sephiroth’s only worth was that of an incubator for his new prized specimen, one of the few things he could rely on was his body. 

A strong, powerful, masculine body, imposing and commanding. The body of a man whose authority was rarely questioned, source of admiration and envy for so many other men.

His blood boiled, remembering how he’d intended to come back, using one of the very few remaining clones, the knowledge of their location left in his head by the remnants. He would use the clone to recreate said perfect body and take over the Planet that was his birthright once and for all. He didn’t notice how defective it was until it was too late.

He remembered how this new, frail form had been brought down so easily, restraints that would be unable to hold him down in the past now able to keep him from moving an inch. Drugs that could only make him laugh in disdain before keeping him unconscious for days, and Hojo took advantage of this. Of his powerlessness, his vulnerability, his _carelessness_.

A true god indeed, he thought bitterly.

One that had been brought to his knees and mutilated, yet again, to be used and disposed of when his usefulness had ended.

He didn’t know if he could call himself a man anymore, not sure of what these new conditions meant for him. He found himself stuck in a weird limbo, having lost his identity, his strength, even his sword and his connection to Mother, no doubt the Cetra girl’s doing.

Sephiroth snorted humorlessly. He supposed it was just a natural progression. Hojo had made it clear that he wasn’t human and he was right. The mad scientist's only mistake was thinking Sephiroth was destined to be a deity to rule the planet when his fate was that of a monster, no different from the twisted things that crawled out of the reactors, to be slaughtered like them, and ensure the safety of the innocent people. 

Of the real humans.

He should’ve done what the blonde was too cowardly to do, but he knew the younger man wouldn’t let him, if only to save that girl’s cells, nonsensical as that was. And, Sephiroth admitted grudgingly, part of him _didn’t_ want to die again.

He didn’t register Cloud’s presence in the room until battle roughened fingers touched his hand, trying to pry it open before he could draw blood.

“You’ll hurt yourself,” whispered Cloud and Sephiroth relaxed his grip, letting the gentle hands examine and soothe his palm.

“It doesn’t matter. An abomination like me shouldn’t exist, a bit of blood shed is inconsequential,” replied Sephiroth, hiding behind the silver curtain of his hair. He heard the other man sigh and prepared for some sort of lecture.

“Alright, what’s this all about?”

Sephiroth looked at the other man, expecting dismissal and indifference in his eyes. The genuine concern shining in them shook him to his core. The older man found himself speechless, wondering what he’d ever done to deserve the sympathy from his most cherished toy for his cruel games.

“I’m a monster,” he finally said, ashamed of how ridiculous it sounded out loud. The shame did nothing to make the words less true. He could see the agreement on Cloud’s face. That made him cover his belly unintentionally.

“If you’re talking about your pregnancy, you better stop. That doesn’t make you a monster.”

“Doesn’t it? I’m deformed, a mismatched puzzle, one that makes up a hideous image once put together. You should’ve destroyed me when you found me, I can’t fathom a good enough reason to keep something so grotesque alive. I'm not the man I used to be anymore. Never a human being. Monsters like me are eliminated, you should have learned this in your time at Shinra.”

“Yeah, Shinra also thought it was a good idea to experiment with an unborn child and appoint Hojo as his caretaker. Excuse me if I ignore anything they taught me.

“And stop saying you’re a monster. That bastard changed your body, so you’ll have to deal with that. But you’re still Sephiroth, the same maniacal, melodramatic bastard you were before. It’ll be difficult to find your way again, believe me, I know. But you’ll get there. No matter what you decide, you’ll still be a human being. A person, with feelings, with a heart. And _human parents_ , um, at least one, like the rest of us.”

Sephiroth’s head snapped up, his eyes going impossibly big at that statement. Cloud scratched his head, avoiding Sephiroth’s gaze, jumping in place when the ex-General’s hand gripped his wrist tightly.

“What?” What was the blonde talking about? Did he have information about him, about his origins? “What do you mean by that?”

“Dammit, I shouldn’t be the one telling you this. You had a human mother, a real one, not like Jenova. Her name was Lucrecia Crescent. She worked with Hojo and agreed to inject you with the J cells before you were born. I don’t know much more than that, Vincent never really told us that much.”

Sephiroth felt lightheaded. Hojo had _lied_ to him, of course he had, with the help of everyone at Shinra. All so he would obey them, believe himself entitled to the Planet, give them the power and control they needed, not caring at all about him or what the consequences would be if their lie was discovered.

“Do you know if she…?”

“I don’t know. I’ll ask Vincent, see if he’d be willing to share what he knows with you.”

Sephiroth could only nod, excited and afraid in equal parts to know about this person, this woman who had carried him much like what he was doing right now. Not Jenova, a human. Lucrecia Crescent.

A long silence fell after that, not exactly heavy but not comfortable either. Sephiroth was still reeling from Cloud’s words. The blonde’s expression was full of doubt, probably wondering if telling him had been a good idea, woefully under prepared for the kind of conversation Sephiroth had dragged him into.

“I’m still a maniacal, melodramatic bastard. I’ve done too many terrible things. Especially to you and your friends,” whispered the silver haired man after a while, a tinge of sorrow replacing the bitterness from before in his words.

Cloud’s lips thinned in frustration, probably because it was the truth and he couldn’t refute it.

“You were once a good man. An arrogant, socially inept one, but compassionate and caring. You could try to go back to being that person. Maybe this is an opportunity to start over. Avalanche is satisfied with what they’d gotten already,” replied Cloud. Sephiroth cocked his head to the side, curious. “Everyone has seen you suffer with this pregnancy and they know it’ll only get worse, so that’s enough retribution for them.”

“Highwind keeps buying the tea you give me and Ms. Lockheart bought enough pregnancy clothes to dress four people,” commented Sephiroth, lifting an eyebrow, not sure if these people knew how to enjoy anyone’s misery. Cloud just shrugged, not seeing anything wrong with his statement.

“As I said, that’s enough for them. Take it as a courtesy to the baby.” Sephiroth nodded, dropping the subject and remaining silent, surprised by how much better he felt now that he had an idea of what to do, where to start.

An opportunity, Cloud said. Maybe it was. He’d taken countless lives without a thought, a single swing of his sword causing immense damage and death. Now, he had the opportunity to create life, nurture it. 

Sephiroth huffed softly, wondering where all this sentimentality had come from. When had he started seeing Cloud not as his enemy or puppet, but as something akin to a friend? He blamed the pregnancy for everything.

.*.*.*.*.*.

Cloud’s heart thundered in his chest, the hardness in his pants throbbing with each beat of his heart. He wasn’t supposed to see that, but now that he had…

The blonde had grown comfortable with Sephiroth’s presence in his house. Too comfortable it seemed. Now he knew he _was_ fucking insane.

Yes, he’d felt more than admiration for the man back when he was a teenager. He was infatuated, even though he didn’t know him personally. Another one of the thousands of people who had fallen for the image Shinra had made up of him. 

His infatuation got so much worse once he befriended Zack, when he was privy to bits and pieces of more intimate details of the man that invaded his dreams every night.

He couldn’t help it, Sephiroth represented everything Cloud was not and he was unable to stop himself from drifting toward him, like a moth entranced by his bright flame. Once he discovered he was as much a mortal as him, just as awkward and isolated, there was no hope for him.

After everything the silver haired man had put him through, he’d thought said infatuation dead, pierced through and destroyed at the same time Masamune had done that to his body.

Cloud had been _wrong_. So, so wrong.

It was the domesticity of it all, he decided.

Sephiroth had taken upon himself all the house chores and would ignore every one of Cloud’s protests. He knew when to stop, after all, the doctor had made it very clear he should be extra careful, especially so with the circumstances of his pregnancy. But he was adamant in keeping himself busy, saying that his inactivity and lack of purpose had contributed to his somber mood. Besides, he added, he couldn’t stand how Cloud cleaned the house.

It wasn’t that Cloud was a messy person but, as with everything, Sephiroth was an obsessive bastard, and would not stop until everything resembled a damn mirror. There were days where Cloud would do most of the work because Sephiroth just couldn’t do it, feeling faint or nauseous, though they had become more scarce since he started taking his medication and eating better. 

That was just part of the problem. Coming back home after buying groceries or making deliveries nearby to see Sephiroth, clearly pregnant, in front of the stove, preparing food, was too domestic and Cloud always had to remind himself that that was not his lover. That he was not pregnant with his child and that, though this was a glimpse at everything he’d always wanted, or something like it, it was just an illusion. Like his pointless attempts at befriending the kids at Nibelheim or catching Tifa’s attention.

A dream that never was and never would be.

Then he’d spend hours wondering where all those thoughts came from. It was now painfully clear that he really had grown too comfortable. He’d lowered his guard too much around the ex-General (having stopped being wary since learning just how truly weak Sephiroth had become) and grown careless and that’s how he’d ended up stumbling upon the other man masturbating desperately.

The doctor _had_ warned him, Cloud’s brain screamed, the pregnancy could have this effect on the older man. Now that his stomach wasn’t distracting him and he’d reached the fifth month, it seemed the urge had finally caught up with the silver haired man. Honestly, Cloud was surprised this hadn’t happened sooner, but that thought did not help his problem much. At least Sephiroth hadn’t heard or noticed him at all, so he would be the only one left mortified and strangely aroused.

He waited a bit more, trying to will his hard on away and giving Sephiroth plenty of time to finish what he was doing. How the ex-SOLDIER was going to face him now was the real question.

Once he felt his body calm down, as much as it would, he entered the house again, making as much noise as possible. Sephiroth came out of the room, looking perfectly composed, nothing to indicate what he’d been doing minutes ago, and Cloud almost wondered if he’d imagined the whole thing.

“What’s with all the ruckus, Strife? Even a Bahamut would move more silently,” he said, and there it was. His voice was a little rough, nothing noteworthy if you didn’t know the cause. It was the proof that Cloud wasn’t going mad and that just made him blush furiously and his cock twitch in interest. Sephiroth crossed his arms, an almost smug expression on his face at Cloud's embarrassment.

“At least you have the decency of blushing.”

The blonde just stood there, mouth opening and closing, trying to make his brain restart and failing miserably.

“I’m sorry,” was all he could reply, lowering his gaze, using the bags of groceries he still had in his arms as an excuse to run to the kitchen and do something to distract himself.

“Did you bring the chocolate and the fruit?” he asked, clearly trying to not sound too eager, the expectant look in his feline eyes making that impossible.

Cloud nodded, blushing more profusely at the mention of the other’s cute cravings, feeling his heart melt a little at the thought. Why couldn’t it be cute gross like before, when he asked for pickles and mustard?

“I’m going to take a shower. Stay away from the stove,” Sephiroth growled, then turned around without waiting for a reply.

Cloud slumped on the counter once he heard the bathroom door close and sighed heavily, frustrated. The image of Sephiroth leaning against the headboard, long legs wide open, stroking his leaking cock frantically… remembering the expression on his face, his perfect features contorted in pleasured agony, his other hand going lower, behind his balls…

He gritted his teeth, feeling his erection come back in full force and the blonde swore—putting the groceries away in an attempt to calm down _again_ —having no time to jerk off before Sephiroth finished his shower and unwilling to figure out why he had wanted to join the other man instead of feeling put off by the sight.

.*.*.*.*.*.

Sephiroth pulled on the sheets, careful not to rip them before grunting in pain. This pregnancy thing was terrible.

He’d been so horny the whole day, unable to think of anything else, but absolutely refusing to masturbate when the object of his fantasies seemed to be a certain blonde ex-SOLDIER.

A valiant effort, but a pointless one.

His iron will had been slowly melted until he had to run to the bedroom and relieve himself, barely finishing moments before Cloud’s return, and now his belly hurt. Not to the point of worry, but it was really annoying and wouldn’t let him sleep.

How women went through all this and got pregnant _several more times_ was beyond Sephiroth.

“What’s going on? Are you alright?” A half asleep blonde appeared at his door and Sephiroth’s scowl deepened. He’d tried to stay as quiet as possible so Cloud wouldn’t notice. He forgot the other man was a SOLDIER, in every way that counted.

“It’s nothing, go back to sleep,” he replied, carefully masking the strain in his voice, but another wave of pain chose that exact moment to wash over him, causing him to gasp.

“So no,” said Cloud, running to his improvised bedroom and coming back already holding his PHS against his ear. “Tifa? I know you’re really busy with the bar right now, but can you please come and pick us up? There’s something wrong with Sephiroth…”

“I told you I’m alrigh—ughn!”

“…and I think we need to see the doctor. Yes, Doctor Kerr said he’d be available whenever. Reeve put him in charge of Sephiroth, so I don’t think he’ll be busy right now. Alright, just try to hurry up, please. Thank you so much, I’m so sorry to bother you.”

“We could’ve used your motorcycle,” said the ex-General, panting a little.

“Forget it. You won’t be able to sit steadily and that can cause us to crash. It’s a terrible idea, no matter how you look at it.”

Sephiroth intended to protest further but another stab of pain distracted him and Cloud took that as his signal to dress himself and help Sephiroth do the same. He wanted to burn the pink, flower patterned abomination Cloud handed to him, no doubt Ms. Lockheart’s version of revenge, but it was comfortable and he had no money to buy other clothes that would fit him.

“That’s our ride,” commented the blonde unnecessarily when they heard the blare of a claxon outside, "let's-"

"If you say 'mosey', I _will_ find a way to strangle you."

Cloud closed his mouth quickly, then helped him get out of bed, moving slowly no matter how much Sephiroth tried to make them go faster. It was endearing, if irritating.

“Barret,” said Cloud, the surprise at seeing the leader of Avalanche waiting instead of his childhood friend evident, “where’s Tifa?”

“Too busy tendin’ to the bar. I volunteered to replace her, if you don’t mind,” replied the tall man, tone of voice even, an unreadable expression on his face.

Sephiroth was not an idiot. He knew that, even after failing to kill him out of misplaced pity and procuring the tea that had helped him so much, Wallace still hated him. Nothing would change that, and he didn’t expect it to. He knew if Hojo hadn’t made him a living incubator, Wallace would’ve ended him without hesitation. 

That’s why he was so surprised when the large hand of the man gripped the arm not hooked around Cloud’s shoulders and helped him get on the truck.

What was _wrong_ with these people?

The road was full of bumps and holes and, every time the truck hit one, Sephiroth could feel it. He tried to not make any sound, squeezing Cloud’s hand, remaining as stoic as he could. Years of having to tolerate Hojo’s inhuman experiments really helped.

One of the holes was too deep, making the vehicle jump and Sephiroth whimper. The ex-General didn’t know if the pain was making him hallucinate, or if the burly man did actually flinch.

“You have no idea how fuckin’ great it feels to see ya weak an’ sufferin’ like this,” hissed Wallace, gripping the steering wheel tightly. Sephiroth gritted his teeth, exasperated, half wondering if the man was doing it on purpose. It wasn’t like he could complain or thought he didn’t deserve at least that, unsure if he’d done something worse if it’d helped him achieve his goal.

“Barret…”

“I know,” interrupted the silver haired man before Cloud could further protest in his stead, “I understand.”

“I doubt you do, or will.” Those were his final words. The rest of the trip was silent except for the little grunts and sighs he couldn’t suppress.

Which weren’t that many, after Wallace reduced the speed a bit and tried to avoid anything that could make them jump again as carefully as he could.

.*.*.*.*.*.

“Sephiroth, go back to bed, I’ll make dinner,” protested Cloud, crossing his arms stubbornly. Sephiroth would’ve found the gesture adorable if he wasn’t so angry. That thought just made him angrier.

“It’s been two weeks, Strife. Doctor Kerr said I should be more careful and I _have_ been. I’ve felt much better and nothing bad has happened for the last week.” He mimicked the other man, but his belly made the movement a bit more complicated. The height difference made up for that, though.

“And nothing was ‘wrong’ that day,” replied the blonde, blushing a bit, out of frustration, Sephiroth supposed, “but we ended up staying at the hospital for three days!”

Like he needed to remind him. Sephiroth hated hospitals, was bored out of his mind the whole time, finding their worry ridiculous and just wanting to go home and wasn’t that a surprise. Him, thinking of Cloud’s house as his _home_. That made him even angrier.

“Honestly, your food is passable at best, but I can’t eat passable.”

“Rude,” pouted Cloud. That made Sephiroth’s ire die down a bit. This level of trust was something he never thought he could have again, especially with Cloud. “Still, no. I’ll buy you Wutaiian for dinner.”

“I don’t like Wutaiian. Eat as much as I did during the war and it stops tasting good.”

“Then something else but You. Need. To. Rest,” he insisted, invading Sephiroth’s personal space and puffing out his chest, like an angry chocobo, though he probably resembled a Tonberry more now. That he obviously did not intend to move from the door caused the ex-General's anger to come back full force, heightened by the certainty that he’d be unable to move Cloud if the blonde didn’t let him, not anymore.

_How_ had he not killed this man before? He was so infuriating. 

But Sephiroth _did_ know why. 

He had found an ‘equal’ in Cloud and always had too much fun toying and fighting with him. He now suspected he’d been attracted to the younger man since he bested him that first time at the Nibelheim reactor. In a really twisted, perverse way.

Sephiroth didn’t think, just moved. Cloud was so close, and he was so angry, and that somehow translated to ‘kiss him’ in his mind. He did just that.

It wasn’t even a proper kiss, which was a bit regrettable; it was him pretty much just bumping his face against the other’s and his lips where the point of contact, but that was enough. Cloud was so surprised that he didn’t try to stop the older man when he pushed him out of the way and escaped to the kitchen.

That night, they ate even more silently than usual, and Sephiroth was unsure if his lack of appetite was because of the pregnancy, or how unnerved he was by the blonde’s blank expression.

***

So Sephiroth had kissed him. Or something like that. Cloud didn’t know what to make of it, or even if there was any meaning to be found in the action. He’d done it just to get Cloud out of his way. Maybe.

Cloud wasn’t sure of anything anymore.

He knew the _other_ Sephiroth. He was used to the crazy son of a bitch that wanted to absorb the lifestream and use the planet as a fucking spaceship. But _this_ Sephiroth, this person who resembled so much the one Zack had described to him, was uncharted territory and Cloud was completely lost.

He wished Zack was still alive, he’d know what to do.

The thought of his friend just made everything worse, wondering if Zack would be mad that he was feeling something for the man who had been the indirect cause of his death. He preferred not to think about Aerith at all.

The last thing that crossed his mind was Zack smiling, telling him that he’d have to introduce him to the General, they surely would be great friends with how socially awkward they both were.

***

“Something happened with him, right?” said Tifa, wiping the counter with more force than needed.

Cloud almost choked on his drink. He’d left Sephiroth with Vincent, the ex-General finally feeling up to listening to Lucrecia’s story, and Vincent having gathered the courage to go down memory lane. He decided that a drink at Seventh Heaven wouldn’t be such a bad idea, now he wanted to kick himself.

“What are you…?”

“Don’t even try to deny it or play dumb, it won’t work,” replied Tifa, her brown eyes intense. 

Cloud had hoped none of his friends would notice anything, especially Tifa. After all he’d done to get her attention and what he’d felt for her, it _still_ wasn’t enough to overpower what he felt for Sephiroth, even after all they had done to each other.

The blonde could only scratch his head, unsure of what to say, if there was anything to say at all.

“Tifa, I… I’m sorry. I have no excuse or explanation. I don’t even know when it happened.”

“Please. You were head over heels even back then, before you even left to join SOLDIER. That never changed, this is the proof.”

Her eyes were full of sadness; the anger visible in her face. Then a mask of calmness covered everything. Cloud’s guts twisted painfully at her expression.

“I’m truly sorry, I understand if you don’t want me to come back.”

“Don’t be stupid, Cloud,” She grumbled, her eyes pinning him to the spot. Then she closed them, taking a deep breath and calming a little. “He’s taken enough things from me, he _won’t_ take you too. Just… just give me some time. You’re the one who’s suffered the most at his hands and if you can still feel this way for him, then…”

Cloud jumped out of his seat, getting behind the counter and taking her in his arms. She returned the hug fiercely and stayed there for a long time.

***

Sephiroth was lost in thought, having visited the cave his mother rested at. ‘Do you want to see her?’ was the inquiry the mysterious man named Vincent had made and, shaking with fear and anticipation, he’d said yes.

He didn’t know what to think or feel. That uncertainty increased tenfold when he stood before Lucrecia—encased in crystal like a princess from a fairy tale—beautiful and not quite dead, but not alive either. 

This was the person who agreed to the experiment that created him. That abandoned him and left him in the hands of Hojo. This was the person who knew what he’d become. That tried to stop it after it was already too late.

‘Don’t be too hard on her, she was young and made too many mistakes, but she loved you. I know that because I heard it from her own lips.’

Sephiroth supposed he was in no position to judge anyone on their bad choices.

He thought he could hear a whisper, a heartfelt, sorrowful ‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry’ coming from the figure; a faint glimmer at her cheek creating the illusion of tears and Sephiroth whispered an ‘It’s alright’ of his own.

“You feel something for him. For Cloud, right?” said Vincent, once they’d returned home. Sephiroth felt his legs falter for a second before composing himself.

“I do not know what you’re talking about,” said the silver haired man, feigning ignorance.

“His friends won’t accept it. I don’t mind if Cloud doesn’t,” continued the man as if Sephiroth hadn’t talked.

Sephiroth frowned, annoyed at being read so easily by an almost complete stranger. If he was able to see through him with so much ease, then the blond definitely knew. 

How humiliating.

“I don’t deserve this,” was all he could say. Vincent cocked his head to the side, obviously considering his words, then shook his head.

“No,” he replied, “but you didn’t deserve anything that happened to you. The true villain of this story is Hojo and I wish I’d stopped him before he could do all this damage.”

Sephiroth wished the same thing. He wished for many things, but knew they would remain just that, wishes. Pretty much like his relationship with Cloud.

***

That night, Cloud returned when Sephiroth was already in bed. He stood at the door for a long moment, just watching the other man sleep, then walked in and laid a kiss on top of his head, the silver strands soft under his lips.

Sephiroth shuddered as soon as Cloud was gone, not believing what had just happened.

.*.*.*.*.*.

A loud gasp left Sephiroth’s lips, but he didn’t try to muffle it. It wouldn’t make any difference.

That night, when Cloud had kissed his head thinking Sephiroth was asleep, was the older man’s breaking point. That night, he’d been so horny, he’d had no choice but to jerk off, stifling loud moans and groans that threatened to leave his throat without his permission.

It had been the same each night for the last two weeks and though his fantasies always involved the blonde ex-SOLDIER, Sephiroth knew he’d be grossed out by the idea. After all, it was impossible he hadn’t noticed what Sephiroth had been doing every day, and if he hadn’t joined him by now, the reason was more than obvious.

He gritted his teeth, trying not to think about that and stroked his cock harder, annoyed because his belly prevented him from reaching his wet cunt, the part that’d been demanding attention the most. His hand twisted in its way up to the tip and he shuddered hard, feeling a gush of wetness drip out of his new entrance, and his walls contract with need.

He imagined the blonde’s hands mapping out his skin, caressing his bulging stomach, his whole body, reverently. He choked on a moan at the mental image of Cloud taking pity on him and fingering his dripping entrance. That was quickly interrupted by the image of the ex-SOLDIER’s repulsed face at the sight.

Frowning, he changed trajectory, caressing the inside of his thighs, fondling his balls, wishing he could reach lower. His imaginary Cloud slithered down his body, burying his face between his legs…

That made him convulse with pleasure, covering his belly with his own come. He milked himself until overstimulation forced him to stop, though his erection didn’t flag at all.

It wasn’t enough. He still needed _more_. 

Wrapping his hand around his straining cock, he started stroking slowly, still oversensitive, but needing to come again. His other hand was busy with his nipples, his fingers coated in his saliva, pinching and teasing them into painful hardness. The sensation went straight between his legs.

“C-Cloud,” moaned Sephiroth, unaware he had an audience, until a choked groan filtered through the blood roaring in his ears, bringing him back to reality.

The ex-General froze, panting hard—now more out of fear of being exposed than arousal—waiting for Cloud’s shocked expression to warp into one of absolute revulsion.

Cloud dissipated that fear when he launched himself over Sephiroth, covering his body, but making sure to not put any weight on his stomach. He could feel the hard line of the blonde’s erection pressing against his skin, barely contained by his underwear.

His lips collided with Sephiroth’s, burying his hand in silver strands to take control of the kiss. The first strokes of his tongue sent sparks of electricity down Sephiroth’s spine.

Those eager lips left his to trail down his neck, licking and biting, adamant on leaving marks now that it was possible, while his hands couldn’t decide where to touch first, finally settling on his pecs. Rough fingers pinched his over sensitized nipples, the weak buck of his hips ripping a growl from the younger man’s throat.

The hands continued their journey, caressing his belly delicately, smearing the cooling come on his skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake. Cloud smiled faintly when he noticed his reaction, using his mouth to lick his belly clean, assaulting both nipples with his tongue right after, flicking and sucking on them until Sephiroth was a trembling, whimpering mess under the other man’s body.

That was when one of Cloud’s hands wandered between his legs, bypassing his leaking cock and heavy balls and going even lower.

Sephiroth jumped, Cloud’s fingers reaching even lower than he’d expected, brushing against the pucker of his ass, and Sephiroth froze, realization pouring over him like cold water.

Of course the other man would want nothing to do with that unnatural part of Sephiroth’s body. Why would he if Sephiroth himself still felt disturbed when occasionally he touched it? He remembered the Cloud of his fantasies, the horrified expression, and closed his eyes in dismay.

His brain had been spot on with that.

The blonde sat back, unsure for the first time since entering the room, fair eyebrows drawing together when Sephiroth closed his legs and turned away from him.

“Sorry, I thought…”

“Save it, Strife. I understand your reluctance; you don’t need to explain yourself. It must be nauseating to-”

“What? No! I just thought you didn’t want me to, uh, touch you there, that’s all!”

Sephiroth looked at him for a long time, stunned. So he wasn’t disgusted at all. The only reason he’d stopped was because he thought Sephiroth was uncomfortable.

The ex-General didn’t answer, wanting to test Cloud’s sincerity. He took Cloud’s hand in his, directing it towards his entrance.

Cloud didn’t need any more invitation.

Sephiroth choked out a scream at the feel of the blonde’s fingers finally entering his slit, the soft folds opening up for the invasion, a new gush of slickness coating the hand, easing the way in. Sephiroth opened his legs wider, moaning wantonly when he felt Cloud’s digits find a sensitive spot, making it their mission to rub it repeatedly until he could feel his eyes sting with tears of pleasure. 

He could hardly believe it, the desire blazing in those intense blue eyes made it even more surreal.

Sephiroth sobbed, desperate to come, his cock standing at full attention again. He did scream once Cloud’s mouth swallowed his cock completely, not even struggling despite Sephiroth’s considerable size, the muscles of his throat contracting around the sensitive head, milking a spurt of precum out of the older man.

Cloud didn’t seem to be experienced, but he learned fast and Sephiroth felt like he might die once the blonde’s ministrations became more confident. His fingers continued moving inside, slick with Sephiroth’s own wetness, while his mouth engulfed his cock perfectly and the other one played with his balls. 

Sephiroth was _not_ going to last.

The hot tongue that breached his cunt, moving obscenely inside pushed him over the edge. He convulsed violently, his orgasm a lightning bolt that seized his whole body, making him black out for a few seconds.

Once his senses returned to him, he could feel little sparks of overstimulation from his balls and the slit underneath. He moaned lazily when he felt the slick head of the blonde’s dick gliding between his folds, jerking against his drenched entrance. He opened his eyes to see Cloud’s face contorted with need, his body seizing for a moment, then shuddering with his release, adding to the mess between Sephiroth’s legs.

The blonde sat back, panting and admiring his work. Sephiroth could see the softening cock jerk at the sight. The ex-General was amused by Cloud’s satisfied expression.

Cloud got up from the bed, returning with a wet cloth that he used to clean Sephiroth’s face and chest, then getting rid of all the fluids covering the silver haired man’s body. When he was finished, he got rid of the towel and stood at the bedside, looking tired but unsure.

Sephiroth extended a long arm, scooting over as quickly as his belly would let him, then dragging the blonde down to the bed. He carefully turned so he was laying on his side, facing Cloud.

They hadn’t kissed until now, not properly anyway. Cloud must have concluded that needed to be corrected and kissed him softly, enjoying the feeling leisurely now that the need and lust had subsided. 

The blonde was the one to end the contact, his blue mako eyes boring into acid green, Sephiroth fearing Cloud was starting to regret what they’d done. But the younger man just sighed, looking resigned but content, leaning his forehead against Sephiroth’s.

With one of the ex-SOLDIER’s hands cradling his belly and the other caressing his hair, Sephiroth let exhaustion take him.

.*.*.*.*.*.

“I want you to fuck me,” repeated the ex-General, as if Cloud hadn’t heard him the first time.

Of _course_ he’d hear him, it was just not what he needed to hear right now. Not when he was kneeling between perfect legs wide open and a raging hard on, his fingers buried deep in his dripping pussy, where Sephiroth wanted to be penetrated.

It wasn’t that the blond hadn’t thought about it. In fact, since that first night and for the last two weeks, he’d been fantasizing about it nonstop, having to restrain himself every time things escalated with the older man. It wasn’t a good idea, especially because of the silver haired man’s delicate condition. He was afraid of hurting Sephiroth or the baby–or both–if he let go and couldn’t stop himself, so each encounter with the ex-General was a battle against his desires.

Sephiroth didn’t help, eroding his already weakened will with filthy suggestions whispered into his ear and rubbing Cloud’s cock against the hot, slick entrance insistently, moaning and begging to be filled. 

Cloud was at the end of his rope here.

“I have! Don’t you remember last friday?” that earned him a cold glare. He did remember, then.

“I meant a _proper_ fuck, Strife. Either penetrate me properly, or stop that maddening teasing with just the tip.” 

Cloud groaned. He did want to, had even lost control a bit and pushed inside Sephiroth’s ass twice already. The last time it’d taken everything he had not to bury himself to the hilt and just pound the older man into the mattress. That was exactly why he was afraid to even attempt it.

Which seemed to be the wrong move, going by Sephiroth’s sour expression.

“Sephiroth, no,” he protested weakly, half heartedly fighting the slender hand gripping his hip, a loud gasp was ripped from him when the movement aligned his rock hard cock with Sephiroth’s soaked entrance, the slickness making the throbbing shaft glide easily over the slit, and another bit of Cloud’s self-restraint died with the sensation.

“I may not be as strong as before, Strife, but I can still take this. You want it too, so why don’t you just stop torturing us both and do it already,” retorted Sephiroth, visibly frustrated, lining Cloud’s cock with the tight ring of muscle that fluttered against his tip, the soft folds giving way easily and enveloping the rest of the head, and the blonde trembled with the effort of keeping his hips from moving.

“Don’t-Don’t want something… to happen… to you.”

Clearly sick of the excuses and too turned on to care, Sephiroth gripped the shaft firmly, wrapped a leg around Cloud, forcing his hips forward, while relaxing enough that his cock slid in. Both hissed. Cloud stayed as still as possible, but the hot walls contracting around him made it almost impossible. It was a mistake to look at Sephiroth’s face to search for signs of discomfort or pain. It was obvious he was enjoying the fullness, the pain only seeming to heighten the pleasure flooding him. Cloud’s cock approved, jerking hard inside the tight cunt.

Cloud’s last shreds of control disappeared with each clench of Sephiroth’s insides until there was nothing left but the overwhelming need to _move_. So he did.

He thrust slowly, still afraid to do something wrong, but unable to stop now. He could hear the hissed ‘yeses’ and ‘fuck me’s coming from his lover. The leg wrapped around his waist pushed him deeper again, and Cloud almost sobbed, trying and failing to stop his movements from becoming more violent.

He _couldn’t_ stop. It felt so good to move inside Sephiroth, his velvety walls growing even slicker with each thrust. He wondered if he could survive this. If not, what a way to go.

It would be a decidedly weird conversation for Sephiroth and his friends.

Cloud wanted to kiss him so badly but Sephiroth’s stomach made that impossible. So he pulled out, ignoring the protest of the older man and made him lay on his side, lifting his leg and quickly buried his cock inside his lover again. Cloud awkwardly gripped Sephiroth’s hair and turned his head, the ex-General happy to comply. Cloud moaned, finally able to ravage Sephiroth’s mouth, his tongue mimicking his hips’ motions, making the older man growl.

He could feel Sephiroth squeezing him erratically, and knew he was gonna come soon. Cloud was close too, deciding to help his lover reach his peak, he took Sephiroth’s throbbing erection in his hand and started jerking him off fast and hard.

Sephiroth choked on a scream, the weight of his belly the only thing keeping him in place.

He clamped down so hard that Cloud was unable to move but he didn’t need to, the image of the ex-General convulsing in ecstasy, combined with the hot tightness of Sephiroth’s passage, was enough to push him over. He could hear the ex-General groaning at the feel of his come filling him and Cloud felt another huge spurt spill out.

He was still so _hard_ , damn his SOLDIER stamina. He felt Sephiroth contracting around him again and felt his eyes almost roll to the back of his head. A hiss left his lips when Sephiroth pushed him, making him pull out, only for him to take his hard cock in his hand and direct it to his ass.

“Sephiroth, what…?”

“J-Just, ungh, do it, Strife.”

He slid in easily, the lube and Sephiroth’s relaxed body ensuring there was practically no resistance. Cloud trembled, biting the older man’s shoulder softly, almost coming at the realization that Sephiroth had prepared himself beforehand. 

Cloud sobbed, this passage even tighter than the other and he had to remind himself to go slower, to aim for Sephiroth’s prostate, his pregnancy making it much easier to hit it. His hand wandered to Sephiroth’s front, grasping his cock again, his body contracting around Cloud almost painfully.

The blond plastered his forehead to Sephiroth’s nape, his eyes closed in concentration, trying not to come before he could bring the ex-General to climax.

“F-Fuck, Cloud!” Sephiroth was coming again and Cloud gasped gratefully, glad that he didn’t need to wait, because he seriously couldn’t have. That intense blaze of sensation gripped him again, made him thrust as deeply as he could inside his lover so he could enjoy the delicious constriction of Sephiroth’s insides milking him. He didn’t notice his hand was still moving over the other’s dick until it was stopped by the silver haired man’s trembling one.

He thrust a few more times, making the older man moan softly, then pulling out and marveling at his come dripping out of both of Sephiroth’s holes, his spent cock twitching. He didn’t remember ever coming this much or this hard. If this was whatsex with the older man would always be like, Cloud really wasn’t sure he’d survive this relationship for long.

The blonde got up from bed tiredly, getting a wet towel and, after cleaning both of them up as much as he could, collapsed on the bed, spooning Sephiroth, caressing his stomach carefully.

Cloud had thought about this relationship and what Sephiroth would do once his pregnancy was over. Would he want to stay with Cloud? Would he leave? He didn’t want to ask, feeling the ex-General might take it the wrong way, like Cloud was pressuring him into staying with him.

A hand rested over his, intertwining their fingers together and Cloud almost laughed out how sappy this all was.

“What are you gonna do, after you give birth, Sephiroth?” The body in his arms stiffened at the question.

“Do you want me to leave?” the blonde sat up quickly, Sephiroth turned to look at him from his position on the bed.

“What? No, I didn’t mean it like that!”

“Then _what_ did you mean?”

Cloud hesitated, unsure. What _had_ he meant by that? Sephiroth turned away, once again using his hair as a barrier and Cloud panicked.

“I understand if you want me to leave as soon as possible. I wouldn’t want someone like me around eit-”

“Shut up, you fucking drama queen!” growled the blonde, annoyed by Sephiroth’s bullshit. The beautiful face turned to look at him once more, the surprise written on the perfect features. “That is _not_ what I meant, you complete moron! I just wanted to know if you wanted to stay here, I wasn’t planning on kicking you out!”

That left Sephiroth stunned. Good, maybe now he’d stop being so dramatic and listen for once.

“You do know what that implies, right? Taking care of a child, of both of us.”

“Well, you’ll need a job, I don’t think the money I make as a courier will be enough for the three of us and-”

“Are you even listening to a word of what I’m saying? You’ll be a _parent_ , Cloud. I presume that you are not willing to become one, since you have not had children of your own and you keep your distance from the pair living at Ms. Lockheart’s bar that follow you around like lost chocobo chicks.”

“This house was an attempt at correcting that. How was I supposed to know you’d come back and consume so much of my time? Besides, I never intended to fall into bed with you either, yet here we are. So what is your point?”

Sephiroth frowned, clearly exasperated. Cloud huffed, capturing his face and making Sephiroth look him in the eyes.

“I understand what you’re saying but it is way too late to tell me to not get involved with you so, just… let’s wait and see.”

Sephiroth’s frown deepened, lost in thought. Cloud supposed he wasn’t used to this level of uncertainty. It was ridiculous with how much unexpected shit had happened to him in the last few months, but whatever. Cloud simply laid back down, embracing the older man again, feeling his body relax against him.

“Alright, let’s wait and see,” agreed Sephiroth, making Cloud chuckle. He left a kiss on the silky silver strands, closing his eyes and letting Sephiroth’s steady breath lull him to sleep.

.*.*.*.*.*.

Sephiroth was sure he was going to die, _again_ , and this time it would be in the weirdest way possible. The second weirdest way possible, counting the Northern Crater, and that must be the blood loss talking, if he was making jokes at his own expense.

It was only the seventh month, he wasn’t supposed to be having contractions—much less bleeding so profusely—but that was exactly what was happening. He wondered if the Planet, the lifestream, was taking revenge by giving him a glimpse of what a good life he could’ve had and then taking away that possibility.

He had gotten up to drink some water, feeling a bit too hot and uncomfortable, and found the sheets soaked in blood. That’s when he’d started feeling lightheaded, falling back on the bed and alerting Cloud of what had happened. The blond jumped out of the bed, all the color draining from his already pale face as if he was the one bleeding out like a fountain. Sephiroth had to close his eyes a bit, fighting a wave of nausea like he hadn’t felt in months, the next thing he registered was being lifted by the blonde, carried to a vehicle that he was sure belonged to the WRO, and laid down on a stretcher.

He remembered only parts of the trip to the WRO’s headquarters, going in and out of consciousness. The next time he could remain awake for more than fifteen seconds, he was already inside an operating room, a group of people moving like a bunch of panicking ants, connecting him to all kinds of machines, his arm already pierced by an I.V. drip.

“We’ll have… operate… lost too much blood… low blood pressure… both could die…” Sephiroth didn’t like what little he could catch of the frantic talk between the doctors. He would have laughed at the whole situation, if he wasn't so afraid, a kind of fear he had not felt since he was almost a teen.

“C-Cloud…” He wished the blonde was there, that he could’ve told him what he’d been trying to deny for months now, as cliché as it sounded.

He hoped he didn’t die here, not until he could see his child and the blonde, at least once more.

***

Cloud sat down heavily after walking the long corridor at least four times. Tifa rubbed his back, trying to comfort him in any way she could. 

Even though she had no real reason to, Cloud could see the worry reflected in her beautiful brown eyes, and felt a bit grateful, knowing he wasn’t the only one that cared about the ex-General in there.

Vincent had just arrived, Reeve had called him and let him know Sephiroth’s condition, coming as soon as possible, no doubt feeling responsible for Dr. Crescent’s son. Having befriended Sephiroth–somewhat–was a big reason too, he guessed.

“Don’t worry, Cloud,” said Reeve, who had received them when they’d arrived, barking orders left and right and visibly trying not to panic. He’d just returned from talking to the medical team in charge of Sephiroth. “We got the best doctors working on this. He’ll be fine.”

Cloud knew he was just trying to sound confident, to reassure Cloud or himself, he didn’t know. He didn’t even know if Reeve cared what happened to Sephiroth or not. The lack of conviction in his voice made Cloud even more nervous.

He shook his head, scolding himself. Reeve had done nothing but help Sephiroth even though he had no obligation to do anything. He could trust him and be sure his concern was real.

But Reeve, Tifa, Vincent… none of them had seen the bed, painted almost black with how much blood there was. He hadn’t seen so much blood since he’d killed the remnants, and that was a mental image he _really_ didn’t need right now.

Cloud leaned back, his gaze fixed on the floor, trying not to think about Sephiroth, the sweat running freely down his face, his normally pink lips white and chapped. Cloud had to make a conscious effort to not get up and run toward that operating room, to hold Sephiroth’s hand and make sure he was still breathing.

He wished he could’ve told Sephiroth how he felt, that when he’d told him there was nothing he didn’t cherish, that included him. He’d been foolish enough to believe everything would work out for once. 

What an _idiot_.

He had to pinch the bridge of his nose to keep the tears at bay. It was especially hard once Tifa surrounded him with her arms and Vincent, stoic, unmovable Vincent, squeezed his shoulder gently. How fucking ironic.

How many times had he killed Sephiroth? How many times had the man hurt him, destroyed his world? For how long had each of their blades pierce the other’s flesh? 

And now, here he was, on the verge of tears for the same silver haired man that a few months ago he’d been about to kill. Again.

.*.*.*.*.*.

Sephiroth’s head hurt. In fact, everything hurt, but his head was the one part that was trying its hardest to get his attention. It was working.

He slowly opened his eyes, having to close them again at the bright lights assaulting his pupils, trying again when his brain registered the lack of a bulging belly that had become a normal sight almost since he’d come back. He slowly raised his hand, hesitantly touching his now flat stomach and flinching at the sting of pain that flashed through his body at his own touch.

What had happened to his child?

He looked around, only then noticing the clump of blonde hair resting on strong arms folded on the side of the bed. Sephiroth tried to speak but his throat was so dry, he had to try a few times before something coherent could be voiced.

“Cloud. _Cloud_ , wake up,” rasped Sephiroth and the ex-SOLDIER almost fell off the chair at the sound of his voice.

“Sephiroth!” he exclaimed, his eyes quickly becoming misty, his hand taking Sephiroth’s and squeezing gently. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired, I want some water.” 

The blonde quickly got to his feet, returning with a cup full of cold water that Sephiroth almost finished. The water had done wonders for his throat and now, the only thing stopping him from asking was that tiny thread of fear lodged under his ribs. “What happened to…?”

“He’s alright, they had to put him in an incubator, but Doctor Kerr believes he’ll be fine,” answered Cloud, grasping his hand again. Sephiroth relaxed, returning Cloud’s gesture and squeezing back briefly. So, he’d given birth to a son. 

Sephiroth both wanted to, and dreaded seeing him. He was terrified and thrilled to meet the person that had made his life so miserable the last few months. 

The one who had _saved_ him.

“He has your eyes,” said Cloud, threading his fingers through his hair.

“That means he has Jenova cells,” replied Sephiroth, upset that Hojo’s horrifying experiment had been so successful.

“Jenova was eliminated, remember? Aerith made sure of that,” Cloud tried to reassure him, “he has Aerith’s hair too. It’s, uh, a weird sight.”

“What happened to me? How long was I out?” Sephiroth preferred not to think about that, choosing to cross that bridge when he reached it.

“A week and a half,” said Cloud, his eyes darkening. Sephiroth pulled Cloud’s hand to his face, kissing the back tentatively, his eyes searching Cloud’s to see if the action was acceptable. The ghost of a smile was his confirmation. “Doctor Kerr isn’t sure why you started bleeding so much, but he suspected this might happen. You almost died in the middle of the operation.”

“Operation.” It wasn’t a question. He now understood the pain in his belly, remembering the doctor warning him this might be the most possible outcome.

“They had to do a c-section. The doctor said that, even with the changes, your hips wouldn’t have dilated anywhere near what was needed for a natural birth anyway. You lost a lot of blood and they thought you wouldn’t make it, it was hard getting enough of your type but, you know, WRO. You can thank Reeve for that.” A small pause followed where Cloud stroked his hair tenderly, the fight to control his voice and tears evident. “I’m glad you’re alright.”

Sephiroth nodded, glad to be alive and that his child was alright, despite everything that happened.

“I should probably tell Doctor Kerr you’re awake. Be right back,” said the blonde, leaning over and kissing Sephiroth’s lips softly, leaving the room moments later.

He couldn’t wait to leave this place, with his child, back home where he could tell Cloud what he thought he’d been too late to reveal.

  
  
  
.*.*.*.*.*.

“I’m back!”

“Shut up, you’ll wake up Zack! I will not be responsible if anything happens, you will deal with him,” hissed Sephiroth from the kitchen. Cloud snapped his mouth closed, walked silently to the table, and lowered the grocery bags on top of it. 

“Sorry, he was awake when I left,” whispered Cloud, kissing Sephiroth’s cheek then moving around him to put everything away.

“It’s okay, you didn’t know. Just don’t wake him.”

When Cloud was done, he sat down at the table, watching Sephiroth prepare their food (he still refused to eat anything Cloud prepared unless there was no other option, it was almost insulting), and remembered what he’d thought so many months ago.

He had to fight back a smile. This _was_ his lover; this _was_ his life now. He could acknowledge he and Sephiroth weren’t the best parents, none of them ever having planned to settle down and start a family, and often had to ask for Tifa’s or Barret’s help.

The relationship was far from perfect. They were both too stubborn and fought frequently, often hurting each other deeply with words, too much history of pain and hatred laying between them. It was a miracle they hadn’t clashed swords yet.

Sephiroth still had issues trying to accept his body and how it worked now, and Cloud still woke up in the middle of the night, convinced Sephiroth would wake up one day and try his luck at world domination yet again.

But they were trying, really trying their best, and that’s all anyone could ask of them.

They ate in silence, as always. Cloud was in charge of the dishes while Sephiroth made sure Zack was alright and still sleeping.

They hadn’t known what to name him, but once they saw how full of energy and smiles he was, and wanting to honor the friend to whom they both owed so much to, the decision was made. Yes, it was weird using that name so frequently at the beginning, especially so when it was such a touchy subject between them. But it wasn’t weirder than the fact that their child was basically Aerith’s and Sephiroth’s offspring, technically, and the circumstances in which he was born, so they just shrugged and tried to get used to the strangeness of the whole situation.

Cloud could imagine Zack smiling, teasing them on their sappiness.

Cloud found Sephiroth sitting down on the couch, reading a book. The blond wriggled his way into his lover’s arms and the older man only huffed, separating his legs so cloud could sit between them. Letting the blond lean his back against his chest, he wrapped his right arm around the smaller body, while keeping his book open with his left hand.

“When are you going to start working for Reeve?” asked Cloud, not paying too much attention to the tv. Sephiroth sighed and closed his book, knowing that the ex-SOLDIER wouldn’t let him continue with his reading.

“Tomorrow. He said I can bring Zack with me so that I don’t have to worry about him,” said Sephiroth, wrapping his other arm around the younger man.

“I wish I could be there to see whatever brave soul dares to try to take care of him,” laughed Cloud, borrowing further into the embrace. “What are you gonna do at the WRO, anyway? It’s not like they have a SOLDIER program you can be the poster boy for.”

“I suppose he wants me to train their soldiers, but I suspect it is more out of the need to keep me under vigilance than any need for my services.”

Cloud suspected that too. In the five months after being discharged from the hospital, Sephiroth had regained a considerable amount of his former strength, including Masamune, for no good reason. He wondered if Aerith had anything to do with all this mess. He wouldn’t put it past her.

Cloud had made it clear that he would do whatever needed to be done if Sephiroth decided to turn into a megalomaniac asshole again. The older man assured him that, after Aerith’s intervention and discovering his true origin, he felt absolutely _no_ desire to destroy the world or become a god anymore.

The blonde suspected it had a lot to do with Zack and, dare he say it, himself. Probably.

Obviously, those arguments were not enough for the rest of the team and both men could perfectly understand their reasoning. The rest of Avalanche had learned to tolerate Sephiroth, but that didn’t mean they trusted him, and this new ‘job’ was a way to keep tabs on the ex-General without making it too obvious.

Yeah, right.

“As long as they pay you, I don’t mind,” Cloud shrugged and Sephiroth grunted in agreement. It would be a boring job, but a well-paying one, and he really couldn’t complain or turn it down.

Cloud turned his head, searching for Sephiroth’s lips and the other man complied with the silent request, starting softly then deepening the kiss. Cloud moaned into his mouth, turning around and straddling Sephiroth’s hips, bearing down deliberately. That earned him a gasp and a pair of hands gripping his hips.

Cloud had just started moving his hips, starting to unbutton Sephiroth’s shirt when they heard a whimper, followed by a wail, coming from the room.

Cloud sighed, frustrated at the interruption and he felt his frustration grow at Sephiroth’s silent laugh, his shoulders convulsing with mirth.

“Come on, it’s your turn.” He slapped his ass, making Cloud groan louder and get up. 

Entering the room, Cloud turned the lights on and taking his son in his arms, silently chastising him for interrupting them as he started the painstaking task of figuring out _why_ Zack was crying.

He hoped he decided not to keep them both awake all night long. _Again_.

**Author's Note:**

> Again, I cannot thank my lovely beta enough (you know who you are), without her, this would be even more of an incoherent mess than it already is.
> 
> OP, thanks for your patience and I'm so sorry this is the best I could write for you.


End file.
